Super Bowl Appetizers - Football Shaped Zucchini Fritters (aka, Mücver)

Last weekend, we enjoyed an international meal prepared by a group of exchange students from  Norway, Germany, Brazil and Turkey. Our exchange student was born and raised in Germany, but very rarely eats German food, as her parents are from Turkey and cook wonderful Turkish cuisine at home. It has been a joy to eat and learn to cook her favorite foods including Mücver, zucchini fritters, which she made for the meal. To her delight, every last one of the Mücver were gobbled up and families even asked her for the recipe. 

Today, I was brainstorming ideas for Super Bowl XLVII and I asked our student if she thought we could shape her Mücver into footballs. She enthusiastically answered, "yes," and was so excited that I wanted to share her family's recipe with all of you.

It was so much fun to work together to create these festive football shaped appetizers which will be the perfect party food for football fans who want to enjoy something out of the ordinary at their Super Bowl parties.

Mücver -  Football Shaped Zucchini Fritters (makes 20-24)

Ingredients:

2 medium size zucchini

1 carrot

1 large russet potato

1 medium onion

1/4 cup flour

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

2 large eggs, lightly beaten

1 cup vegetable oil, plus more if needed

1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt

Supplies Needed:

cheese grater or a food processor with a shredding attachment

strainer or a salad spinner

mixing bowl

10" or 12" non-stick skillet

metal football shaped cookie cutter

spatula/turner

metal tongs

pastry bag (optional: fitted with a small round tip) or a zip top bag

Instructions:

Peel the zucchini, carrot, potato, and onion. Shred all the vegetables using a cheese grater or a food processor fitted with a shredding attachment. Place in a strainer and let sit for 10 minutes. Press down on the vegetables, allowing excess water to drain off. I used a salad spinner and spun the vegetables dry, which worked perfectly. 

Pour shredded vegetables into a mixing bowl. Sprinkle the flour and salt over the shredded vegetables. Toss to coat. Add eggs and mix until well combined. As you work, if you have a lot of excess moisture, drain it off. 

Heat 1 cup vegetable oil in a 12" non-stick pan until it reaches 350 degrees Fahrenheit. 

Set your metal football shaped cookie cutter down on a spatula/turner. Fill the cookie cutter with a spoonful of the zucchini mixture.  Press down to create a 1/4 inch thick football. 

Carefully slide the filled cookie cutter into the oil, lifting the cutter, allowing the football shaped mixture to gently glide into the pan. I recommend using metal tongs to do this job.

Tips: Move quickly, don't allow the cookie cutter to get really hot or it will begin to cook the filling as you create your next football fritter. Wipe the cookie cutter clean, often. 

Our exchange student and I worked together; I filled the cookie cutter and slid them into the skillet while she fried them, flipping them over as they browned on each side. You want your fritters to be nice nice and crispy but not burnt, so fry them to a deep golden brown. The edges of your football fritters will be a bit darker, and that is fine. 

Once you have fried your football shaped zucchini fritters, set them on paper towels to drain off excess oil. I also pat the tops with paper towels to really remove as much oil as possible. 

At this point they can be decorated and served, however, I'm guessing most of you wont want this mess in your kitchen while you have guests. So, make your fritters then put them in an airtight container and refrigerate them for up to a few days. When you are ready to serve them, place them on a baking sheet and heat them in a 350 degree oven for about 10 minutes, until heated through.

To decorate them: fill a disposable pastry bag, optionally fitted with a small round decorating tip, with plain Greek Yogurt or just use a zip top bag with a small hole cut in one tip. Pipe laces and stripes onto each football fritter. 

Place on a platter and serve alongside the remaining Greek yogurt. The Football Fritters are great hot but are also quite good room temperature or even cold.

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- Beth

Items used to create this project that are available on Amazon.com (commission earned for sales)